Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1887-07-27
A DOMESTIC PROBLEM.
The Romantic Manner In Which 1t
Was Solved.

The Romantic Manner In Which 4
Was Solved.
"a womans education is mistake
from beginning to end" said Roxy
Stephens, in a sudden outburst Of de
spair. Eyes, it is. Here have I beer
going to school all my life, and dom
know any thing. There never could
have becn," Roxy deliberately added
''cvep in tho Dark Ages, such an ig
noramus as am. don't even know
how to feed the chickens properly, v
rs q downy colony of little 'Domini
qucs" scattered this way and that be-
fore the mass of scalded meal which
Roxy had flung too abruptly into theil
midst, while the mother hen, sounding
trumpet note of shrill alarm, scuttled
back against the picket-fence, with
| tapping wings and feathers all a-bris-
| tie.
Up to certain degree there was
truth in Roxy's lamcntation. She had
been seventeen years old when she
came to live with her aunt Sally
| Stephens on the Redbrook Farm. She
was a bright-haired, fresh-complex-
toned girl with shady blue eyes, en-
phasizcd by perfectly arched brows a
thought heavier than falls TO the usual
lot of womankind. They had al
ways been secret grievance to her,
these black, lcech-like curves; but, had
she only known it, the dark, strongly
penciled brows were what gave charac-
ter to her whole face, and redeemed il
from the insipidity of mere pink and
white prettiness. In a certain fashion
her mind correspondent to her eye
brows. There was a quaint vein of
originality pervading it. Her nature
was strongly outlined, too, and in the
fullncss of youth and vitality she had
once believed that she was born to
conquer fate.
Roxanna Stephens was city-bred
girl, the daughter of Miss Sally's old
est brother. who had died unexpected
ly, leaving II mothcrless girl totally un-
provided for. Thus do people give
mortgages to fate, and dying, leave
others to foreclosc on them. There is
undoubtedly n certain degree of injus-
tice in it; but who shall venture to carp
against the Lords willP Miss Sally
herself, u complaining little woman,
with face full of fine wrinkles, like
China Grape, and blue eyes hidden be-
hind misty spcctaclcs, accepted the
trust, as she had accepted all the other
Inconvenience of her life, simply and
without protest. She had never had
any strong emotions one way or the
other. If she had any active pleasure,
it was in gathering the humble herb:
and simples of her native fields and
drying them in preparation for the
aches and pains that beset her poor
humanity. "It's always well to be
prepared" said she. Il don't hold
with the MUNICIPALITIES, nor yet hahn
no faith in calomcl and mercury
There amt nothin' like roots and
herbs, and every neighbor within ten
miles around comes to me for EN-
when they've sickness In the house."
And to this little old brown woman
In little old brown farmhouse came
RoNanna, the young princess who bad
set forth to conquer the world.
lin desput glad you've come. Rox-
amer" said Miss Stephens, shifting a
a bunch of wiltcd pennyroyal. 81
amt able to keep on dom as hev
been dom Somehow it's borne i'm
upon me that Providence has sent you
I've worked powerful hard all my life
and now I'll jest rest spell, and Lei
you keep house for me-. hain't nc
doubt ut all but what Wen get along
together iirst-rate, you and me"
Roxy looked with solemn eyes al
her aunt. Evidently the old lady hat
faith ~ grain of mustard-seed, and
there was something contagious in hel
Example.
ut must he very easy to keel
house." said Roxy, fresh from the
classroom and recitation-hall. So tho
hnuschold helm was delivered into hei
hands, and then-not till thcn-she
realized the fact of her exceeding igno.
rance.
Not for worlds, however, would she
have confessed her inability to rule the
domestic mendgc. Aunt Sally had {
profound contempt for "book-larnin', '
and did not hesitate to assert roundly
THAT ''cf brother Simon had took hei
advicc he would hev brung up Roxan
ncr in quite different way" and tn,
girl had certain silent pride in vindi
eating her fathers judgment. So, by
the help Of u dog scared cookery bool
(which she found in the garnet, sh,
learned some of the simpler secrets o
the cuisi,ie, and her own neat natur
taught her the mysteries of sweepin,
and scrubbng; while old Kinda, je
black ncgrcss, with grizzled wool ant
a soft appealing voice like flute, VIII
lpervadcd the ncighborhood, came twic
In the month to wash and iron for tn
! little household.
Jos what ole Hinda's good for,
, said she; ''dat, an muffin else. Miss,
can do mos anything; but dar amt n
sense in Missy stan'in' at dc wash-tub
Leave dat arc to ole linda"
Il And Roxy's spirits rose with her goo
luck.
I'm getting TO be house-keeper.
said she. cheerily. TO herself. "Thc
; fried fish this morning tasted a.
good. and tho wild plums that pre-
served yesterday arc certainly going 3
, be success"
But " it Is always darkest bcfor
daylight, IL Is also sometimes brightcs
before an unexpected thuhdcr-cloud
And ono day old Kinda bethought hcI